Ketsuki
by Miyozuki Friidomo
Summary: Kahn and Sierra have joined forces as vampire hunters. Unfortunately, they may have found one they can't handle.
1. Default Chapter

Ketsuki  
-------  
  
The small mining city of Tinto  
was in much better shape after the war.  
The people were in higher spirits, and   
trade began to flourish with renewed   
passion and bolstered inspiration.  
  
"Still dusty, isn't it." said  
Sierra as she and Kahn entered the gates.  
  
"Perhaps. But I decided that I   
should check in here. It is where Neclord's  
blows hit the hardest." replied Kahn, as he  
remembered Tinto's plight. Neclord had come   
to this city about a month ago, and had turned  
its denizens into the walking dead.   
  
Fortunately, almost everyone was   
dispelled from their curse after Neclord was  
killed by Viktor, who bore the Star Dragon Sword  
combined with Sierra's True Moon Rune. It was   
almost as if the undead tyrant had never laid  
his evil magic upon Tinto at all.  
  
Sierra sighed as she strolled next to  
Kahn. "This desert sun is drying my skin."  
  
Kahn looked at Sierra, humor glinting  
in his dark grey eyes. "You could always head  
back."  
  
"But that wouldn't be any fun."  
  
"Point taken."  
  
Kahn slowed to a stop near the large mine  
entrance at the top hill of the city. He sniffed  
the air for a few seconds, then closed his eyes  
in thought. Sierra poked her head in the cave  
slightly, peering around the gloom curiously, before  
looking to Kahn again. "What is it?"  
  
"I don't know... for a moment..." Kahn trailed  
off, his brow furrowing as he pondered.  
  
"If you're wondering if you smell a vampire, I   
smell it too. Whoever it was, they were here days ago,   
and haven't returned."  
  
"Then my senses aren't fooling me after all.   
But their scent was very familiar." Kahn tried to think  
of all the vampires he'd crossed during his life, but  
as to which one this was, he couldn't put his finger on  
it.  
  
"Do you think they went into the mine?"  
  
"Only one way to find out, Sierra."  
  
Both nodded slowly in unison, walking into  
the darkness of the mines.  
  
***  
  
The two had been walking in the dark mines  
for almost an hour, combing it over carefully, searching  
nook and cranny for any sign of the vampire. They were  
about to give up, but something caught Sierra's eye as  
she looked toward a boulder.  
  
"Kahn, that rock over there..."  
  
Kahn blinked, looking at Sierra, then at said  
rock, narrowing his gaze. There was something...  
  
All of a sudden, the realization hit Kahn. The  
'rock' was slowly expanding, bipedal limbs growing from   
beneath it, and stony arms extending from the sides.  
  
"Sierra, be on guard, I think it may be a golem."  
  
Sierra cupped her hands, a tiny light growing in her  
fingers.  
  
"Stall him, would you Kahn? I need a minute or two."  
  
"No problem."  
  
Kahn slowly approached the growing golem, his hands  
held in his pockets leisurely. The golem was now easily  
seven feet tall, as it slowly rose from a crouching position  
on the ground. Rearing back its head, the large rock beast  
roared loudly, the walls of the mine shaking heavily.  
  
Kahn only stood his ground, switching his weight  
from foot to foot to stay balanced. And his respone to   
the deafening challenge of the golem?  
  
"Let's go."  
  
The golem charged toward Kahn, growling as its  
empty eye sockets began to glow red. It swung one huge  
boulder-fisted hand at the vampire hunter. Kahn merely  
slid back, his coat flapping lightly.  
  
"Too slow... obviously a halfhearted spell that  
bred this one."  
  
This outward calmness only provoked the golem, who  
kicked a large foot toward Kahn. Kahn swayed to the side   
heavily, a glint in his eye as he smiled a little.  
  
"And so clumsy... rather easy to dodge at this rate.  
But there's still something..."  
  
By now Sierra had generated a small purplish orb of  
energy within her hands. Her concentration was dedicated to  
the spell, which was nearing completion.  
  
The golem's hate-filled crimson eyes glowed brightly  
as it spewed molten boulders of magma and fire at Kahn.  
  
"Oh, so that's the trick. Nice one."  
  
Kahn smoothly drew his sword from a concealed scabbard  
within his left pocket, slicing a large fire boulder cleanly   
in two. Following through with this circular motion, he spun  
in place. The golem reached an arm toward Kahn to grasp him as   
his back was turned, but Kahn's spin quickly turned him forward  
again, as his blade cleaved through the golem's hand. With a   
loud shriek, the golem withdrew its arm, the severed hand falling  
to the ground, once more a pile of stones.  
  
"Next..."  
  
Kahn quickly thrust his blade toward the golem, dashing   
quickly toward it, with a grunt, he stabbed into the monster's  
large chest, carving a hole into it. The monster fell to one knee,  
temporarily stunned. But already it began to regenerate its hand  
and chest, debris from nearby seeming to melt into its massive  
body.  
  
"Sierra, now!"  
  
Sierra now held a large orb of swirling purple energy in   
her hands. Mumbling some arcane verses, she thrust her hands   
outward, the orb rocketing toward the golem, hitting it directly.  
With a flash of light and an explosion of rocks, the golem was  
destroyed; turned back into the earth from which it was made.  
  
For a long moment there was silence, as dust rose into the   
air. Then with a ring of metal, Kahn's sword was returned to its  
scabbard.  
  
"Well that wasn't too bad."  
  
Sierra tossed her head back lightly, long white hair cascading  
down her back.  
  
"Next time, should we switch?"  
  
Kahn grinned slightly, before turning toward the now dead stones  
and stooping to pick up a handful of rocks and dust. He stared at the  
mass, then sniffed it lightly, before letting it slide out of his hand  
and between his fingers.  
  
"That vampire from before definitely summoned this, but I still  
can't quite put my finger on who it is."  
  
Sierra began to yawn, but froze as her hand began to cover her  
mouth. The air within the mine had seemed to gone still. The torches  
flickered, lowering to a minimal glow. The catacomb suddenly seemed  
more like a tomb.  
  
"Kahn..."  
  
"Sierra, watch out."  
  
Kahn looked about the dim room slowly, picking over every detail.  
  
"It's been a while, Kahn. I see you and Sierra are still on the  
losing team."  
  
Kahn felt his blood go cold. Quickly, he drew his sword. Sierra   
tensed, small lights beginning to form in her hands.  
  
Near the remains of the golem, dark shrouds and wisps of purple   
and green light began to form. Slowly they began to mold into a humanoid  
shape. The shape flashed, turning into a tall man with shoulder-length  
black hair and deep brown clothing. He was soon covered by a cloak of   
swirling purple energy. With a small grin he opened his gleaming black   
eyes, which assessed the two vampire hunters.  
  
"Ketsuki! Damn!" Kahn said, suppressing a shudder.   
  
"Ketsuki..." Sierra echoed quietly, her eyes downcast as the  
lights from her hands faded.  
  
Ketsuki looked from Kahn to Sierra, his grin broadening  
slightly, revealing his vampiric fangs. "What's the matter, you two?  
I expected more ceremony than this."  
  
Kahn felt his temper rising; a rare occurence indeed. "Ketsuki,  
why have you come here? Neclord was killed, or did you not hear?"  
  
Ketsuki's grin faded, a serious expression replacing it. "I did  
hear, Kahn. And I also heard that both of you were involved in the deed.  
I hope you got that rune back from him at least."  
  
Sierra nodded faintly. "We'll have to kill you, Ketsuki. You  
know that."  
  
Ketsuki slowly slid his hands further out of his sleeves.  
  
"If you think you can... then by all means."  
  
With a shout, Kahn charged toward Ketsuki, his sword whistling  
through the air. Ketsuki laughed, his form turning to mist as the blade  
passed through him. The vampire floated back smoothly, reforming. Sierra  
fired two orbs of purple light, which streamed toward Ketsuki. Ketsuki  
looked toward the orbs, his eyes flashing as he held up one hand, a large  
orb of green and red energies discharing from his palm, destroying Sierra's  
spell.  
  
Kahn cursed. "You're stronger than before."  
  
Ketsuki smirked. "You're observant."  
  
Kahn smiled grimly. "Then let's see what you can do."  
  
Kahn held out his right hand, the Resurrection Rune glowing   
brightly. With a crackle of energy, white arrows flew from the vampire   
hunter's hand, overtaking Ketsuki in a flash of brilliance. When the   
light was gone, so was the vampire.  
  
"Where'd..." Kahn trailed off, looking around slowly.   
  
Suddenly, Sierra shrieked. Ketsuki laughed, his hand glowing  
green as he struck the vampiress a grievous blow to her face, knocking   
her unconscious.  
  
Kahn growled, swinging at Ketsuki. "You'll pay for that."  
  
Ketsuki's laughter continued as he swayed away from the slice.  
Spinning swiftly, he kicked Kahn in the face, knocking the vampire   
hunter back a few feet. With another kick, Kahn was sent reeling back   
once more, dropping his sword to the ground. Ketsuki then held both  
hands outward, a wave of red energy sending Kahn slamming into the   
wall with a crash. Ketsuki floated toward the stunned vampire hunter,  
landing lightly in front of him. With a slight grin, he watched Kahn  
struggle against the force pinning him.  
  
"Is this all you've got? I'm dissapointed in you, Kahn."  
  
Cracking his knuckles, Ketsuki slammed a fist into Kahn's stomach.  
Kahn felt the wind explode from his lungs, his mouth opening widely in mute  
pain. Ketsuki connected to the now winded vampire hunter's face with his   
other fist, blood splattering on the ground.  
  
"How I've looked forward to this... you almost had me last time.  
You should've killed me back then, while I was still weak. Now I'm stronger  
than you. I'm even stronger than that mediocre vampire, Neclord."  
  
Ketsuki pummeled Kahn's chest with swift punches, feeling the ribs  
crack slowly, but surely. Kahn was in a world of pain, strangely disconnected  
from the whole ordeal.  
  
At last Ketsuki stopped, his face inches from Kahn's.  
  
"Shall I kill you now? It's the least I can do for your mercy  
previously."  
  
Kahn growled out his answer. "I'll kill you."  
  
A strange look passed Ketsuki's face, before he laughed.  
  
"We'll see about that."  
  
Suddenly, Ketsuki was thrown to the side in a brilliant  
explosion. Sierra stood nearby, her face bleeding from the vampire's  
previous blow. Biting her lip, she breathed in and out heavily.  
  
"Bastard..."  
  
Ketsuki slowly stood from his crouched position, looking at   
Sierra.  
  
"You'll pay for that one."  
  
Swiftly he dashed toward her, a dark purple blade appearing  
in both hands. In a blur, he spun quickly, cutting Sierra across an  
arm and part of her waist. With a cry, she fell back, as Ketsuki  
continued to spin after her, applying quick, shallow wounds to the  
vampiress's body. After a few moments, Sierra was wounded too heavily  
to stand, and so she collapsed, bleeding.  
  
Ketsuki stopped spinning, a grim expression on his face.  
  
"That's what you get."  
  
All of a sudden, Ketsuki felt a strong force propel him into  
a wall, rocks crumbling about him as he broke the surface. Slowly,  
he pulled himself free, looking behind him. Kahn stood there, his  
wounds seeming partially healed, sword held at the ready.  
  
"You shouldn't let someone with a Resurrection Rune start  
healing themselves, Ketsuki. Now I'm angry."  
  
Ketsuki laughed, his eyes gleaming red.  
  
"So I see. Now we'll see just how good a vampire hunter you  
are, Kahn."  
  
So said, Ketsuki quickly began to spin again, his form   
becoming a mere blur of purple blades. As he spun toward Kahn,  
the vampire hunter jumped into the air, turning his wrist and   
throwing his sword down toward the vampire in a flurried spin.  
This caught Ketsuki off guard, as he had no defense from an aerial  
attack. The blade cut into the vampire's shoulder deeply, causing  
him to stop spinning. Kahn landed lightly, kicking Ketsuki in the  
chest and causing him to fall back a few steps, the sword sliding  
to the ground.   
  
Ketsuki slowly looked from his deep shoulder wound, then  
to Kahn. Feral anger crossed the vampire's diabolical features,   
before he smirked a little.  
  
"You're pretty good. We'll finish this next time...   
unless you want Sierra to die?"  
  
Kahn looked at Sierra. A small pool of blood was   
beginning to form around her. When he looked toward  
Ketsuki again, he saw the vampire had vanished into the  
darkness. Quickly Kahn kneeled next to Sierra, using  
curative magic from the Resurrection Rune.  
  
Sierra opened her eyes, sitting up. "Ketsuki's  
much stronger than any of the other vampires I've   
seen. What could have augmented his strength so?"  
  
Kahn shrugged a little, helping Sierra stand.  
  
"Whatever the case, he's left the mines. I doubt  
he'll come to Tinto again anytime soon. He probably  
thought he'd be able to easily take over Neclord's place  
here, but he should be wary of us from now on."  
  
Sierra nodded, and began to walk toward the exit  
of the mine. Kahn fell into step next to her, and together  
they left.  
  
---TO BE CONTINUED--- 


	2. Ketsuki Part II

Ketsuki Part II  
----------------  
Kahn and Sierra were in the small, but now peaceful, town  
of Radat. The war had not done much damage to it, and peace was easily  
kept, since most there did not wish trouble.   
  
"Kahn, where are we going next?"  
  
Kahn pondered for a moment, his face thoughtful.  
  
"Well, I thought we might go to Rockaxe for a day or two."  
  
"Why Rockaxe?"  
  
"Why not?" replied Kahn, a hint of amusement in his eyes.  
  
"Well, it's rather sudden. You got any leads?"  
  
"Not as such."  
  
"Well why do you want to go there, then?"  
  
Kahn grinned slightly and turned toward the door, hefting his  
pack over his shoulder.  
  
"A hunch."  
  
Sierra sighed lightly, smiling a little despite her attempt to  
stay disdained.  
  
***  
  
Rockaxe had not changed much. Thought some fighting had taken  
place around and within it during the war, things seemed back to normal   
there. Thanks to the efforts of the Blue Knight Miklotov and the Red   
Knight Camus, order was quickly restored.  
  
Kahn casually made his way toward the castle, glancing around  
occasionally for signs of either of the aforementioned knights. Sierra  
followed, her hands folded behind her back as she looked around.  
  
"This place wasn't nearly so big about a hundred years ago,"  
the vampiress remarked with a small, tight lipped smile.  
  
"Things change, I suppose," agreed Kahn, as he continued toward  
Rockaxe Castle.  
  
***  
  
"So, you want to take a look at the castle library?"  
  
Camus stood beside the empty throne of Rockaxe Castle with  
Kahn. They had yet to select another king since the death of King  
Garuda during the final days of the war.  
  
"Yes, I need to poke around some books down there, if you   
don't mind."  
  
The red knight of Mathilda crossed his arms loosely, regarding  
the vampire hunter.  
  
"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Kahn. I can't let you go there  
unless you've got a good reason."  
  
Kahn nodded slightly, a small smirk crossing his face.  
  
"Of course. We've got a vampire on our hands, and I think he's  
from Mathilda's royal lineage."  
  
Camus stood in mute shock a moment at what Kahn said.  
  
"Kahn... you can't just walk around accusing dead kings of   
Mathilda being vampires!"  
  
"I never said he was a king of Mathilda."  
  
"...What?"  
  
Kahn leaned lightly against the wall.   
  
"I said he was in Mathilda's lineage, but I never said  
he was a king of Mathilda."  
  
Camus shook his head slightly, smiling a little.  
  
"How foolish of me. You mean one of the princes."  
  
"Exactly. Now can I go down there? I'm a little short on  
time."  
  
The red knight nodded a little.   
  
"I don't have a problem with it. But you need to confirm it  
with Miklotov. He's upstairs right now."  
  
"I'll go ask him about it. Thanks."  
  
Kahn walked out of the throne room, heading immediately  
toward the underground archives of Mathilda. Sierra followed immediately  
behind him, her delicate face betraying confusion.  
  
"Kahn, Camus said to talk to Miklotov."  
  
"I know. But we don't have the time to get the papers or whatever   
that will grant us access. Besides, I'll only be a minute; I know what  
I'm looking for."  
  
"If you say so."  
  
***  
  
The library deep in the basement of Rockaxe Castle wasn't an   
incredible size; but it did have important tomes within that no other  
country possessed. Kahn was thumbing through a particularly dusty book,  
skimming the material. Sierra sat upon a stone shelf, humming to herself  
as she waited for the vampire hunter to finish reading.  
  
"Here it is." Kahn pointed toward a paragraph within the book.  
  
"Mmm?" Sierra nimbly dropped down from the shelf, landing next  
to him.   
  
"It says here that Prince Laonus, fourth heir to the throne during  
the third century of Mathilda's reign, was found dead in his room from   
mysterious causes. When they were to entomb his body, it vanished   
without a trace."  
  
"You think Ketsuki is linked to it?"  
  
"I'm not sure. Most vampires have a familiar scent, that slowly  
develops from the scent of the vampire who created them. I've fought a  
vampire made by Prince Laonus before, so I remember the scent."  
  
"Then why did I recognize it, too?"  
  
Kahn grinned a little.  
  
"Haven't you dealt with a lot of vampires since you've been around?"  
  
Sierra sneezed lightly.   
  
"Yes, but I would've remembered Prince Laonus. Even I haven't heard   
of him, and I thought I knew them all."  
  
"He may have been before your time. The third century of Mathilda's   
reign might've been before most vampires that are running around today."  
  
"I suppose you may be right. But where is this Prince Laonus now?"  
  
"As far as I can tell, he seems to have been destroyed. But Ketsuki  
has a scent that resembles his. It could be that when we saw him manifest  
himself as a vampire all that time ago, he had either borrowed his   
vampiric powers from Laonus, or Laonus himself had endowed Ketsuki with  
them."  
  
"But whatever the case, if he is linked to Laonus, then he's bound  
to have similar weaknesses. Does the book talk of things the prince   
disliked?"  
  
Kahn fell silent for a minute, reading the book.  
  
"It doesn't say. And this is the only book here dedicated to Prince  
Laonus; if it isn't in here, it isn't anywhere in the library. We'd better   
get out-"  
  
"Kahn! Sierra!"  
  
The duo turned toward the voice. Standing in the threshold of the   
stairway, was Miklotov, blue knight of Rockaxe. He was drawn up to his full  
height, an expression of anger on his face as his hand rested on the hilt of  
his sword.  
  
Kahn tipped his hat toward the knight.  
  
"Greetings, Miklotov. How are things?"  
  
"You two aren't allowed in here. Why are you intruding upon this  
restricted area?"  
  
"I'd tell you, but we don't have enough time. Come on, Sierra."  
  
Sierra started to follow Kahn toward the doorway Miklotov stood in  
front of, but the knight planted his feet firmly, drawing his large two handed  
sword.  
  
"Hold it. You're going to have to MAKE time until I'm convinced you're   
not trying to pull something."  
  
Kahn's face took on a mock injured look.  
  
"I'm hurt, Miklotov. Since when have I been a criminal?"  
  
"It's nothing against either of you. This is a matter of policy."  
  
"You didn't seem to care about that when you quit Mathilda during the  
war."  
  
Miklotov's face reddened slightly, and he lowered his gaze toward the  
floor.  
  
"That was different... we were being ruled by a coward. I couldn't stand  
by and let that happen."  
  
Kahn's expression turned to one of sincere concern as he regarded the young  
blue knight.  
  
"I'm sorry, Miklotov. I didn't want to bring that up. But I assure you that  
this is a matter of the utmost importance. Sierra and I must leave. Please allow us  
to investigate this matter. Please."  
  
Sierra watched the two, closing her eyes.  
  
"I'll destroy you, Ketsuki. You shouldn't have been able to harm me. Next time  
we fight, I won't..."  
  
She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard metal ringing. Looking up, she   
saw Miklotov sheath his sword with a sigh.  
  
"Fine. But I'm coming with you two."  
  
Kahn frowned.  
  
"That's really unnecessary-"  
  
Miklotov fixed the pair with a slight glare.  
  
"IF what you say is true, then this concerns Mathilda Kingdom as well. I won't  
sit idle."  
  
"This was ages ago. I doubt he'd come to Rockaxe," replied Kahn.  
  
"This isn't open for debate. Either you both leave with me, or you don't leave   
at all. Simple as that."  
  
Kahn was about to speak again, but Sierra interrupted.  
  
"You two talk way too much. Just come with us and let's go."  
  
With that said, the vampiress walked briskly past them, proceeding through the  
doorway. Kahn and Miklotov exchanged confused glances briefly, before following.  
  
***  
  
It was raining when they left the archives. Kahn and Sierra stood at the open   
gates of Rockaxe Castle as they waited for Miklotov to stop conversing with Camus in   
quiet whispers.  
  
After a few minutes, the two knights locked arms, nodding slightly to the other  
in unison.  
  
"Hopefully I won't be gone too long, Camus."  
  
"I'll handle Rockaxe. Take your time."  
  
"I appreciate it."  
  
Miklotov walked to Kahn and Sierra.  
  
"Let's go."  
  
Without another word, the trio left Rockaxe Castle. Camus shook his head lightly,  
a lopsided grin conquering his face.  
  
"He really needs to get a girlfriend."   
  
Suddenly his hazel eyes widened.  
  
"Crap! I forgot I have to go to lunch with Karen! I'm going to be late!"  
  
Camus sprinted toward the castle to change his clothing.  
  
---TO BE CONTINUED--- 


	3. Ketsuki Part III

Sorry about the delay in this chapter. I've had a nasty case of writer's block on this one for a while. ;)  
  
  
Ketsuki Part III  
----------------  
  
It was getting dark. Kahn, Sierra and Miklotov had been walking for nearly a week, through wild forests and rocky mountains. But as to where they were going, only Kahn knew.  
  
Miklotov was watching the back, his sheathed sword currently serving as more of a walking stick than a weapon. Dirt streaked his face, but he didn't appear exhausted. Sierra didn't seem to be winded at all; she didn't even appear to have dust on her figure at all.  
  
All at once, they cleared the most recent, and ironically, darkest of dark, forests. As they did, the moon flashed into view abruptly, the previous clouds having fled from its lunar scope. Light streamed down everywhere, but did little to brighten the scenery. Part of the reason may have been the large tower that stood before the group. Its dark stones stood in stark contrast to the open fields around it, seeming to be a cyst in the middle of healthy earth. About the base of the structure, thin mists curled about, forming abstract shapes before broiling back into itself.  
  
"Ah, here it is. I wasn't sure if it had been destroyed or not," said Kahn, the corners of his mouth turning upward slightly.   
  
Sierra gazed upon the tower for a long moment, before sniffing the air delicately.  
  
"Is this where Laonus is?"  
  
"It's where he was last, at least."  
  
Miklotov stepped toward the door, drawing his blade from its scabbard.  
  
"Let's get down to business then."  
  
Kahn shrugged slightly, stepping to the side.  
  
"Be my guest."  
  
With that said, Miklotov lunged forward, slicing toward the large wooden doorway. With a loud, splintering crash, the door exploded under the force of the blow, debris falling about the threshold. Sierra clapped lightly, suppressing a laugh.  
  
"That was interesting."  
  
The words had barely been said when a suddenly breeze flew about the area. It felt cold, numbing; almost as if the dead had taken to the air. With a loud, whistling howl, the mist around the tower separated, forming numerous figures. The misty apparitions wavered for a few moments, before forming into dark grey wolves, with gleaming red eyes and foaming mouths.  
  
"Time to go to work," Kahn murmured, standing still with his hands in his pockets.  
  
Miklotov glanced around, before sliding into a defensive position.   
  
"Bring them on."  
  
Sierra spread her hands apart, purple energies gathering within her palms.  
  
"I'm ready."  
  
With a snarl, the wolves charged.   
  
One of the creatures bounded toward Kahn, leaping at him with jaws snapping. The vampire hunter nimbly slid to the side, his sword whistling clean through the monster, which dissipated like the mist it had came from. Miklotov took the initiative with two of the creatures, cutting downward upon one before spinning the sword into another at his side. Sierra spun slowly, facing three of the beasts and tossing a dark violet orb into their midst; the orb exploded in a burst of energy, the wolves vanishing amidst the blast.  
  
Two more charged toward Miklotov. The blue knight blocked the incoming mass of one, kicking it into the air. Turning to the other, he thrust his blade into the wolf's skull, before turning and cutting up into the previous one. Kahn dashed toward three of the wolves, jumping past their clawing limbs and biting teeth. With a flip, he turned to face them in mid-air, two of his fingers upon his forehead, his eyes closed. With a flash, the symbol of the Resurrection Rune came to life, three bright red arrows rocketing through the air, crashing into each of the beasts in turn. The remaining two wolves leapt at Sierra, their ruby eyes glittering with murderous intent. Smiling faintly, the vampiress thrust her arms upward, two earthen spikes emerging from the ground to pierce the two misty canines.   
  
As the last of the monsters was eliminated, all became silent. The wind settled down once more, and the tower stood open to the trio. Without so much as a word, they entered.  
  
***  
  
Within the tower, nothing seemed worth inspection. All of the furniture, artwork, and documents within seemed rotted and damaged beyond repair. Twice the stairway leading to the next floor of the building had almost collapsed. However, Kahn didn't seem to notice the terrible condition of the tower as he continued, reaching the top floor within a few minutes. Quickly, the vampire hunter strode to a desk, opening drawers and inspecting the entire area carefully. Sierra waited to the side, looking out of a window. Miklotov leaned against a wall nearby.  
  
After a few minutes of shuffling about, Kahn finally broke the silence.  
  
"Here it is."  
  
With a creak, Kahn put a large red tome down upon the desk. Blowing dust off of the cover, he opened the book, scanning the pages slowly, silently mouthing the words.  
  
"Kahn, what is it?" asked Miklotov.  
  
"Shhhh..."  
  
The knight shook his head slowly, but said nothing more.  
  
Almost half an hour passed this way. Finally, Kahn closed the book and put it within his coat.  
  
"This has what we need. Let's go."  
  
"Kahn, maybe you should tell us what is in that thing first," suggested Sierra.  
  
Kahn walked toward the stairs, looking at both Miklotov and Sierra with a glint in his eye.  
  
"Nothing much. Just how to defeat Ketsuki."  
  
***  
  
As the three left the tower, the ground began to shake. In a brilliant flash of deep red, a shape formed against the pale moonlight. Within moments, a tall man wearing a deep violet cloak, with long black hair, stood before them, his black eyes watching the three, as a grin spread across his face.  
  
"Going somewhere, my friends?"  
  
Kahn narrowed his eyes, cursing softly.  
  
"This could be trouble..."  
  
-TO BE CONTINUED- 


End file.
